"You can do whatever the fuck you want, Damiano," Enzo says, his voice dropping low. A sardonic smile curls his lips as he adds, "Yes, Don."
The title drips with sarcasm, but I don't miss the flash of genuine concern behind his mockery. We stand there, neither willing to back down, the tension vibrating between us like a plucked wire.
I take a deep breath, cooling the immediate flash of anger. Enzo knows how to push my buttons like nobody else. It's always been this way between us—brothers who'd die for each other but can't resist testing boundaries.
"Two weeks," I say, my voice dropping to that deadly quiet that makes even hardened soldiers nervous. "I want everything you can find on her in two weeks."
Enzo's eyebrows shoot up. "That's not enough time to be thorough?—"
"I don't give a fuck." I cut him off, stalking back to my desk. "You've had your people digging for days. I know you're close to something."
"And how do you know that?" Enzo's eyes narrow.
"Because I know you." I lean forward, palms flat on the desk. "And I know when you're holding back."
A muscle ticks in Enzo's jaw. He doesn't deny it.
"Two weeks, Enzo. Not a day longer."
"And if what I find isn't what you want to hear?" he challenges.
I meet his gaze unflinchingly. "Then I deal with it. Like I always do."
Enzo runs a hand through his dark curls, frustrationevident in every line of his body. "This isn't some business problem you can solve with money or bullets, Damiano. This is?—"
"I know exactly what this is." My voice is steel. "But don't mistake my feelings for weakness. If Zoe is playing us, I'll handle it personally. Two weeks," I repeat. "Dig faster. Use whatever resources we have. I don't care what it costs."
Enzo stares at me for a long moment before nodding once. "Fine. Two weeks."
As he turns to leave, I add, "And Enzo?"
He pauses at the door, looking back.
"This stays between us. No one else knows until we have something concrete."
"Not even Alessio?"
I shake my head. "No one."
As Enzo's footsteps fade down the hallway, I let out a long breath and run my fingers through my hair. The tension of our conversation leaves me with a pounding headache building behind my eyes.
I press the intercom. "Daniel."
His response comes immediately. "Sir?"
"Find Lucrezia and bring her to my office. Make sure no one interrupts us."
"Right away."
While I wait, I move to the window, watching raindrops race down the glass. The sky has darkened to a stormy gray, matching my mood. I need to talk tosomeone who won't question my every move, who still looks at me like I hang the fucking moon.
My little sister has always been my compass when I start losing my way.
Five minutes later, there's a soft knock at the door.
"Come in."
Lucrezia pokes her head in first, those big brown eyes so like our mother's peering at me. "Daniel said you wanted to see me?"
